P Dellit - 8

L Timani -14

S Wykes - 2

C Alcock - 2

T Hepetema - 2

The Waratahs entered the match minus most of their first-choice side, with 10 players on Wallabies duties and a further seven injured.

But with their finals hopes dangling by a thread, the Waratahs ran in three tries in the opening 25 minutes before displaying a fierce defensive effort for the rest of the match to secure the vital win.

New South Wales almost secured the four-try bonus point after the final siren, but winger Peter Betham was ruled to have knocked on in his desperate lunge for the tryline.

The triumph moved the Tahs into seventh spot on the table, just two points adrift of the sixth-placed Crusaders and fifth-placed Cheetahs.

But even if they win their remaining game against the Queensland Reds on July 13, they must rely on a host of other results to go their way in order to snare a wildcard play-off berth.

The Force will finish last in the Australian conference unless they can muster a bonus-point win over the Brumbies in their final match of the season.

Western Force forward Hugh McMeniman, making his first appearance in nine weeks, suffered a major scare in the 28th minute when he was left limping after a tackle.

But he ploughed on to see out the entire match, keeping alive his chances of making the Wallabies squad for the upcoming series against the British and Irish Lions.

Pre-match rain did not seem to bother the visitors as they recorded three tries to one in the opening half.

Waratahs debutant Ollie Atkins was the first to cross in the sixth minute when he picked the ball up from the back of a ruck and barged over.

And from a line-out in the 10th minute, the Waratahs unleashed a series of slick passes to send winger Cam Crawford over in the corner.

Force prop Pek Cowan pegged a try back for the home side in the 22nd minute after an initial thrust from McMeniman.

But the Waratahs replied three minutes later through centre Tom Kingston.

New South Wales took a 22-8 lead into the long break, but the Force had their chance to fight back when Waratahs number eight Jed Holloway was sinbinned in the 56th minute.

A running try to Kyle Godwin after an initial break from Sias Ebersohn closed the gap to nine points.

But the Force's knack of giving away silly penalties came back to haunt them as the Waratahs iced the win in front of a crowd of 10,194.